lesson 1 BibLe The Source of Wisdom STEP 1. STEP 2. Bible Learning (15 20 minutes) STEP 3. Bible Application (5 10 minutes) STEP 4.

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1 Unit 25 Theme: lesson 1 Choosing and Losing The Source of Wisdom STEP 1. Life Need Discuss values. Optional: Conduct an unfair obstacle course. Optional: blindfolds, chairs, books, table, etc., for obstacle course STEP 2. Bible Learning (15 20 minutes) Examine the purpose and source of wisdom. Discuss its implications for students lives. Bible Blueprint paper pens or pencils STEP 3. Bible Application Discuss the value of applied wisdom. Optional: Read and discuss articles in Blueprint. Blueprint pens or pencils STEP 4. Life Response (about 5 minutes) Students write a wise saying. Close with a prayer. pens or pencils Blueprint Memory Verse The fear of the L ORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Proverbs 1:7 Bible Basis: The purpose and source of wisdom (Prov. 1:1-7). Bible Truth: True wisdom is rooted in God and nurtured through discipline. Lesson Aim: That your students understand that wisdom is knowing the true nature of God and seeking to live according to His Word. UnderStanding the BibLe Outline of the Book of Proverbs I. Title and purpose, 1:1-7 A. The book s objective: To impart wisdom (vss. 1-6). B. The basis for wisdom: The fear of the Lord (vs. 7). II. Lessons of wisdom, 1:8 9:18 A. A book of admonition for youth. B. A didactic poem in the form of an address by a father to his son. III. Proverbs of Solomon, 10:1 22:16 A. About 375 short maxims sayings of fundamental truth. B. The section is arranged in no precise order. IV. The sayings of the wise, 22:17 24:34 A. The wise men perhaps include the men named in 1 Kings 4:31. B. The words of wise men (22:17 24:22) and a poem on the drunkard s woes supplemented by wise sayings (24:33-34). V. Proverbs of Solomon, 25:1 29:27 A. Several proverbs are repeated from Section III. VI. Final sections of Proverbs, 30:1 31:31 A. The Sayings of Agur Son of Jakeh (30:1-33). B. The Sayings of King Lemuel (31:1-9). C. The Ideal Wife (31:10-31). continued on next page indicates items you will need to prepare before class _L01.indd 8 Lesson 1 1/12/11 1:36 PM

2 . PRESESSION ACTIVITY understanding the BibLe cont'd This quarter s lessons are based on biblical wisdom literature. At one time, it is believed, wise individuals made up an established class like prophets and priests. The Bible s wisdom literature is the fruit of this long tradition. Proverbs was written as a kind of textbook. Originally its primary use was to instruct upperclass Jewish boys, about your students ages. Biblical religion has long recognized that true wisdom is learned only in the context of faith. Proverbs 1:7, which is in a sense the motto for the whole book, states this clearly. classroom This is a fun little icebreaker that will help your students get to know you and each other a little better as you begin a new year of teaching. Ask each of the students to give one-word answers to the following questions (be sure to include yourself!). Have everyone in the class answer the first question, then ask the second in a similar manner, and so on. You may not want to ask all of these; pick the ones you will use before class. Name? Age? Shoe Size? Favorite Color? Hobby? Favorite Class? Career Hope? Best Day of the Week? Describe yourself (in one word). Take time both in and out of class to develop friendships with your students. Start by learning their names. It is an act of love to learn and use a person s name. Take an interest in their lives. Where do they go to school? What activities are they involved in? Do they work? What about their family? What you learn will help you in preparing future lessons. The better you understand the needs of your students, the more effective your lessons and prayers will become. TipS Objective: That your students give one-word answers to questions about themselves. Understanding Y ur Students Welcome to the exciting world of teaching teens! If you are a little nervous about your new class of high schoolers, here is something to remember. Youth work is 80 percent loving kids and 20 percent mechanics. Your students will remember far more about how much you cared about them than the specifics of how you have taught. So remember to be concerned and consistent. Teens are looking for real adults living a genuine faith. Concentrate on modeling the things you will be teaching. Do you place a value on God s wisdom in your own life? Do you demonstrate discipline? Be honest enough to admit your own struggles, yet emphasize your desire Lesson _HSTG-F.indb 9 to implement God s wisdom into your life. This unit of study is important in that high schoolers need God s wisdom in accomplishing the developmental tasks of adolescence. Struggling with their world, teens need help understanding many things: who God is; who they are; what is wise; what to value; how to develop healthy relationships; and how to prepare for future marriages, families, and careers. Your careful teaching of God s Word will assist them in these tasks. 9 1/12/11 1:23 PM

3 10 Lesson 1 STEP 1. Life Need Lesson Aim: That your students understand that wisdom is knowing the true nature of God and seeking to live according to His Word. OBJECTIVE: That your students think about what they value most. Optional: blindfolds, chairs, books, table, etc., for obstacle course If you chose not to do today s Presession Activity, open the class with introductions, especially if this is your first time together. Ask students to share one thing about themselves. Then hand out sheets of paper and have them write their answers to the following question:. If you were granted one wish, what would you ask for? Discuss students responses, both serious and humorous.. What do our choices tell us about what is important to us? Encourage your students to talk about their values and how they determine what is important to them. The Book of Proverbs, which we ll be studying for the next five weeks, has a lot to say about the importance of wisdom in our lives. Solomon was actually given the choice you just had when he became king. We re going to look at the choice he made, why he made it, and what the results were. OpTIOnal activity For a slightly different emphasis, set up an obstacle course in your room and have a race between two volunteers. Blindfold both participants, but stack the deck by allowing one of them to be led by a non-blindfolded student.. Compare this race to your own life. In what sense does each of us go through life blindfolded? (We can t see into the future. Unexpected problems are always popping up. We make decisions without being sure they are right.) The help given to the second racer can be compared to God s wisdom. We all need some guidance through the obstacles we face in life. It only makes sense to go to the source of all wisdom, but sometimes we don t think about God s wisdom that way. That s why the Book of Proverbs was written to instruct young people in God s wisdom and warn them about some of the obstacles of life. Free! Downloadable Options for Steps 1 and 4. RealLifeDownloaded.com

4 Lesson 1 11 STEP 2. Bible Learning (15 20 minutes) Bible Basis: The purpose and source of wisdom (Prov. 1:1-7). gg OBJECTIVE: That your students examine the purpose and source of wisdom. Bible Blueprint paper pens or pencils Distribute Blueprint to your students at this time. You ll notice that the lessons are no longer nested and are all contained in magazine form. The Bible study is reprinted here each week for easy reference as you teach. Supplementary questions and additional comments are also included in this teacher s commentary. As you prepare for class, work completely through the Bible study on your own. Anticipate questions and problems that might arise. Then, as you teach, decide which of the supplementary questions you need, to guide students toward the Bible Truth. Depending on how much time you have, you may want to use all of them or none of them. Pace yourself so that you have time for all four steps of the lesson. There are also optional activities for those who have more time than average, or for those who want to take a different approach. Have the class work in pairs on the first part of the Bible study from Blueprint. FROM Blueprint The What Fors of Proverbs (p. 7) Some books of the Bible give very specific reasons about why they were written. Luke wrote his Gospel so that his friend Theophilus might know with certainty the facts about Jesus (Luke 1:4). John wrote his first epistle so that Christians might know that they had eternal life (1 John 5:13). Solomon begins the Book of Proverbs telling us why he wrote them. When the Lord told Solomon that he could have anything he wanted, just for the asking, he asked for wisdom. The Book of Proverbs contains much of this wisdom. Read Proverbs 1:1-6.. List the eight reasons why Solomon wrote the Book of Proverbs. 1. For attaining wisdom and discipline. 2. For understanding insightful ideas. 3. To obtain a disciplined life. 4. For doing what is right, just, and fair. 5. For making simple-minded people wise. 6. For giving knowledge to young people. 7. To add to the learning of the wise. 8. To give guidance to the discerning person.. If by reading the proverbs you gained each of these things, how could you use them? Encourage your students to speak freely here; notice how their value system is reflected in their responses. Read Proverbs 1:7.. Fearing God means respecting His power and control over your life. Why is this kind of respect a good starting point for gaining wisdom? (It reminds you that God is the ultimate source of wisdom.)

5 12 Lesson 1. Why is it foolish to treat wisdom and discipline lightly? (God s wisdom is where the real power lies. All the security the world is looking for can be found in a relationship with God.) Today'S ScripTure Proverbs 1:1-7 1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: 2 for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; 3 for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; 4 for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young 5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance 6 for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Below are some questions that could be added to your discussion if they weren t already raised. Before asking these questions, you may find it helpful to have your students read about Solomon s choice in 1 Kings 3:5-15; 4: Why did Solomon choose wisdom? (He took the task of being king seriously and knew what would be most valuable for him.). How did God s wisdom benefit Solomon? (God s wisdom enabled Solomon to rule well; he became well-known.). Why did Solomon receive so much more than he asked for? Do you think this would happen today? Why? (The answer is found in the character of God, who is always gracious and gives us more than we ask for or deserve. God rewards faith; so, yes, we can expect Him to be just as generous with us. That doesn t mean we ll be rich or famous, or get everything we want. It just means God is good.). What was Solomon s attitude about himself as he spoke to God in his dream (1 Kings 3:7-9)? What does this teach us about what our attitude should be when we seek wisdom and help from God? (Solomon was humble. He knew his limitations, and he didn t try to bargain with God. He was very unselfish. We need to examine our motives when we ask God for things. Is it for selfish reasons, or for growth and service?) Today s memory verse emphasizes the importance of having Solomon s attitude when we seek God s wisdom. Have someone read Proverbs 1:7.. The memory verse says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. What do you think the word fear means in this verse? What other words could you use instead of the word fear? (Fear does not mean terror but wonder, awe, reverence, and respect.). Some might say that this verse is hard to understand. After all, there are plenty of Christians who are pretty ignorant and foolish, and there are plenty of people who don t believe in God who seem pretty wise. How would you answer them? Allow for free discussion of this question. One thing you can point out about foolish Christians is that the verse says reverencing God is the beginning of wisdom, not the end. This should challenge all Christians to grow in wisdom. Another point is that wisdom is not the same thing as knowledge. Yes, many people who don t know God have a great deal of knowledge, and even have a good deal of wisdom about many things. But the wisest people are those who recognize their limitations before a just and holy God. Let s look at a worksheet that will give us examples of wisdom that comes from God.

6 Lesson 1 13 STEP 3. Bible Application gg OBJECTIVE: That your students discuss the value of wisdom and review wise quotes. pens or pencils Blueprint A Word to the Wise p. 8. Why is wisdom so important? Allow kids to talk about why they think it s important.. Why, then, is wisdom not valued more highly? Again, there s no one right answer to this question. Kids will probably relate it to their own lives. In our society it s often more important how you look than how you are. Most kids know that this is pretty shallow.. What does discipline have to do with wisdom? (It s ironic, but it s possible for people to have a lot of wisdom, and not use it. This was certainly true of Solomon toward the end of his life. Unapplied wisdom is as useless as unapplied knowledge.) Let s wrap up today s class by talking about ways to apply the wisdom God gives us, and review the quotes on A Word to the Wise on page 8 of Blueprint.

7 14 Lesson 1 STEP 4. Life Response Bible Truth: True wisdom is rooted in God and nurtured through discipline. gg OBJECTIVE: That your students write a wise saying that calls for a specific action. pens or pencils Blueprint: A Word to the Wise p. 8 Our study of Proverbs this month should help us gain some wisdom that we can apply to the kinds of situations we just talked about. We ll try to get specific whenever we can in applying God s Word. As we sincerely seek to grow in God s wisdom and to discover His will for our lives, God will help us. Have your students write their own wise sayings at the bottom of A Word to the Wise. What words of wisdom would they want to impart to their friends? Encourage them to come up with sayings that are relevant to situations they ve faced (or will face in the future) in which they ve needed wisdom. The sayings should call for a specific action. Once your students have come up with their sayings, have them read their sayings out loud. If a student is resistant to this, don t force the request. Close with prayer, praising God for being the source of wisdom, and asking Him for the discipline to apply that wisdom to live according to His Word.